Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. Was I being told something when we were burgled recently?

Several months ago, we had our second burglary in as many years virtually exactly a year apart. The modus operandi was also exactly the same: the huge window at the back of the house was broken and the gents entered through the huge gaping hole. The only difference was that, this time, I was at home working in the lounge.

Now, burglaries are nothing peculiar or remarkable in my part of the world (2.5 incidents per week in our neighbourhood), so I won’t dwell too much on the matter. It was the manner in which I experienced myself and my reaction that I found most remarkable and somewhat interesting. Of course, more questions...

With the laptop on my lap I was concentrating on some tasks. The two small dogs were in reverie, each on their own chair. Suddenly I heard the crash of broken glass, and my first thought was wondering which picture had crashed from the wall, and which one was big enough to cause such a loud crash.

Then the most peculiar thing happened to. It appeared as if I split into several separate consciousnesses – perhaps three as will soon become clear. As I jumped up from the couch, one of my awarenesses intended to go looking for the spot somewhere in the house where something had fallen to the ground with a crash. The second awareness was totally conscious of what was really happening – a burglary in progress - and on its way to the study where I realized that the source of the commotion was. On the way to the study – which is about ten paces – I tried to get hold of a wooden walking stick from a clutch of walking sticks standing in the corner. Failing to grab hold of the walking stick my right had grabbed a caulking tool which lay on the arm rest of a chair I passed. The third consciousness was aware of both awarenesses and I remembered clearly wondering what I would accomplish with a caulking tool if needed for self-defence.

I was totally aware of the split in my personality, each with its own agenda, even though it was only for a few seconds. Actually, the third consciousness did not have an agenda or intentions, it merely was aware and observed.

As I turned the corner to enter through the door into the study, I bumped into one of the perpetrators. At this point, things are a bit fuzzy as the next moment I remember was looking out of the broken window looking at the two running burglars. Not being very athletic anymore (never really was), I realized the futility of jumping through the window after them. So, I came to a standstill, and just looked. At that point the second burglar came to a standstill for only a second or two, looked around back at me, straight in my eyes, and I clearly remember thinking “now, do you get what we are trying to tell you?”

The whole event took perhaps 15 seconds, but in retrospect the experience seemed to last for much longer. At the time, none of my consciousnesses experienced any fear but there was a kind of disconnection, as if the event was not one of danger but rather as if I was interacting with an outside agent. The dogs seemingly didn't notice the initial disturbance but were upset when the police arrived.

Of course, the police and the community patrol were called, but that was a mere sideshow and totally futile.

In spite of my seeming conscious disconnectedness in this event, it seems that my body reacted yet in another manner. I felt unwell for nearly two weeks afterwards, and was told that that is the effect of the rush of adrenaline that floods the body in times of crisis, although I can’t seem to find any confirmation of this.

Thus, in retrospect it seems that ‘I’ actually separated into four rather than three versions of myself, the fourth, of course, being my physical body.